A week ago, I saw a plastic bag of dog poop sitting beside the curb in front of my home. Well, whoever left it there probably had an emergency to take care of (maybe the dog ran off to chase a squirrel and so the human had to run after the dog). No doubt, the following day when human and dog come by on their walk, the human would see the abandoned bag and say to himself/herself: “Oh, look. I’ll dispose of this today.”

Another two days go by.  The bag is now flattened (probably by a neighbor’s tire) and some of the poop has oozed out.
What is it with dog poop in my path?

Last year, dog excrement (sans bag) was sitting on the sidewalk at the corner. I almost stepped on it when I was approaching the trunk of my car to get my walking shoes. After my walk around the neighborhood, I called my Constructive Living Instructor Patricia Ryan Madson. “Patricia,” I asked, “Am I supposed to pick it up?”
Patricia didn’t have to answer. I just wanted to hear the logic:  In practicing Constructive Living, I could stay annoyed (in this case–a neighbor has not picked up after his/her pet) or I could “take care of what’s in front of me.”  My friend Marie Elena Gaspari (also a writing coach) speaks the same wisdom.

Today, I told my hubby about what’s lying on the street.  He offered to dispose of the mess.  I knew “who” needed to clean the mess.
It’s late afternoon now.   I know that when I go outside again, I will see a clean street because I took care of what was in front of me.

As a writing coach, I remind myself that in a story the protagonist has to be the one who takes action or suffer the consequences of being a “passive character.”

How can dog poop help your writing?  Don’t let your protagonist be passive.

The book – Constructive Living: Outgrow Shyness, Depression, Fear, Stress, Grief, Chronic Pain by David K. Reynolds.  Achieve the goal of Constructive Living – to do everything well. Western world Dr. Reynolds had combined two of the most popular forms of therapy in Japan.

Cheers from

22-Day Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan

http://writingcoachTeresa.com

Coach Teresa LeYung-Ryan is the author of Build Your Writer’s Platform & Fanbase In 22 Days: Attract Agents, Editors, Publishers, Readers, and Media Attention NOW. Click here for print edition. Click here for Kindle edition. “Reach out, not stress out.”

Teresa’s novel Love Made of Heart: a Mother’s Mental Illness Forges Forgiveness in Daughter Ruby is used in college courses and archived at the San Francisco History Center.

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